what steps are you inspired to take after this week of reflection?

That's it! The fifth and final day of our self discovery series. One question to tie it all together. What steps are you now inspired to take after discovering what you have? If you are feeling inspired by this week, think of what you need and want to do to live your biggest, fullest, most authentic and joyful life.

Pose: Whatever pose helps you to get quiet and centered. Perhaps corpse pose, seated meditation position, or butterfly?

Challenge: Make note of one area of your life where you want to make change. Write down several action steps that you can take over the course of the next six weeks. Assign a date for completion for each action step. Don't feel like these have to BIG steps. Maybe the are, maybe they aren't. Maybe you need to take what Sark refers to as micromovements. Click that link and read. It's a great tool!

Big happy living to each of you! I hope you found this weeklong series helpful. I had great fun doing it!!

what can i do today to live more joyfully?

Yeah it's day four of the yoga as a means for self discovery series. If you've been following along all week (and many of you have told me you have, thanks!) you've probably found that this work can be pretty tough and intense. I thought it would be nice today to sort of take a step back, and bask in some joy. The key word in this post is "today". I think that too many times we "save" our joy for later occasions. When we lose five more pounds, or get that raise, or take that trip. Hey I'm guilty here. Earlier this week I exclaimed to Andy, "You know where I'll be this time in nine more months? Maya Tulum for our yoga retreat!!" Um, hello saving my joy and completely not being present!

So what can you do today to live more joyfully? For me, I'm sitting here at Coffee Times. I just enjoyed the most delicious cup of coffee and white chocolate and raspberry scone. Yes it was delicious and completely worth the calories. It's a small thing, but after teaching class I was so excited to retreat here. Maybe it's taking some time for yourself. Or watching a movie that makes you happy or listening to a song that makes you feel like a superhero. Going for a walk, baking, reading, writing, crafting, playing, and yoga might help you to feel joyful.

Pose: Happy Baby Pose - Need I say more? When we have a choice (and we always do) why would we choose not to be joyful?

Challenge: You could just close your eyes, let the edges of your mouth curl up and bust out a big ol' grin. I know it sounds a little silly, but it's hard to be grumpy with a big grin plastered on your face! And commit to doing at least one thing that allows you to be joyful in this moment, today.

Do share....what are you going to do?

what would I do if I knew I wouldn’t fail?

Welcome to day three of the self discovery series. What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail? This is a pretty popular question. When I typed it into Google I got 722,000 results! This is an interesting question and I try to ask myself this very question on a pretty consistent basis.

I’m a pretty big proponent is choosing to be appreciative of the life we live and trying to find a sense of contentment within our days. All you have to do is go back to yesterdays post about embracing what you have. At the same time, I’m a big proponent in choosing, creating, and living a life that we love.

I think that we can all relate to feeling stuck in some area(s) of our life. Maybe it’s a relationship, a job, where we live, how we spend our time, etc. If you can’t seem to get a handle on it and it’s a consistent theme in your life then maybe it’s time to shake things up a little. If you have a deep yearning to do something else, something different then allow yourself some space to explore that. Mary Oliver might say “you felt the old tug at your ankles” as she does in The Journey. I think that most of us don’t even allow ourselves to dream about what could be, because we’re too caught up in the “what if’s” and “I can’t”.

Pose: Handstand – Just play with it. This is a pose in which most of us are scared. We’re scared of kicking all the way up. We’re scared of not kicking all the way up. Don’t even worry if you don’t kick all the way up. Embrace it for what it is. But don’t let the fear of falling or failing immobilize you. And most importantly can you have fun in the process? And take care of yourself?

Challenge: Ask yourself once more what you would do if you knew you wouldn’t fail. Then spend just five minutes writing about what comes to mind.

instead of wishing for something else, how can I embrace what I have?

I fully admit that this is a tough one for me. I’ve spent a good deal of my 31 years wishing I had something different that what I currently had. First it was the clothes, then the body, then a job, a home, a pose, and well you probably get the picture. What I’ve realized is that I’m tired of feeling “not enough”. It’s not worth my time or energy. I’ve realized that each of us have a limited amount of time on this beautiful earth and we should use this time wisely. Let’s all spend more time playing, laughing, loving, moving and connecting.

Pose: Standing Forward Bend – If there ever was a pose I see people reaching and struggling in, it’s this one. Please, quit pushing yourself to get your fingers to the floor. Let your hands rest on your knees, shins, ankles, or whatever. Just embrace your pose (and your hamstrings) for what it is.

Challenge: Write down ten things you have in your life right now that you can fully appreciate and maybe even embrace.

*Photo from Yoga Journal

how can I live more deliberately?

This is the first inquiry as we think of yoga as a means of self discovery
It’s easy to drift in and out of our days. Before we know it, they all look and feel the same. Are you spending your days operating on autopilot or are you making a clear and conscious effort to come alive and live deliberately? What would it mean for you to live more deliberately? I imagine it would vary for each of us. Allow yourself some time to ponder the question and write down what comes to mind.

Pose: Dancer Pose - It’s impossible to practice this pose and be on autopilot for it requires you to be open, available and truly present. How alive can you feel in your pose? Practice with a wall if you feel this pose is a little out of your league for today.

Challenge: Go public with how you’ll live more deliberately. Tell a friend, tell your mom, or tell us here on the blog. Maybe it's one small step, or maybe it's a big leap that you've been scared to take. Why state it out loud? Because you’re more likely to make changes when others are holding you accountable. And you're putting it out there for the universe to hear. ;-)

Let me know if you discover anything!

yoga as a means for self discovery

This weekend I spent a good amount of time reflecting on some things to clarify what's really important to me. Sitting on the couch with pretty pens, paper and important questions allowed me to ponder what it is about yoga that keeps me coming back to the mat,as a teacher and a student. Spending time hiking in Berea with a dear yoga friend also allowed me to put some things in perspective. Nature is good for the soul. Always.

What I've realized is that yoga has always allowed me to go within and observe what's going on. When I started yoga it was about observing the breath and sensations I was feeling in the postures. As time and my yoga practice have progressed, I've allowed myself to move deeper (literally and figuratively) into my yoga practice. I have no doubt that yoga (for me) is an ongoing process that helps me to align body, mind, and spirit. If my body is feeling all out of whack, there is probably an area of my life that is out of whack. This could range from my relationships, to food, physical environment, exercise, lack of "me" time, etc. Yoga helps me to balance my inner and outer life.

So this brings me to my very first series here on the Barefoot Works blog. Beginning Monday I'll present a question for you to ponder and a yoga pose that can help you to explore the question. Let's see if your yoga pose and inquiry can lead you to discover something intersting about your life. If nothing else, it will be a great chance to fit a little yoga into your day. :-)

Sound fun? I hope that you'll play along this week!

soar baby soar

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
- Helen Keller

it's not about the money

That's the title of the book that I plan to purchase soon. I've been eyeing this book and with all the money talk thought it might be nice to "Unlock My Money Type to Achieve Spiritual and Financial Abundance." Brent Kessel is the author of this book and he has written for Yoga Journal. Check out his site here and take the quiz here to learn more about your money type.

It seems that I'm "The Innocent" type which means that "you avoid putting significant attention on money and believe or hope that life will work out for the best. The risk of this is that you can be avoidant or even helpless when it comes to money. But on the positive side, you're often hopeful and adaptable."

Yep, that's me. My quiz also told me that KIVA is a place to invest. Must be on, since I already do this.

Happy sweet dreams of abundance. ;-)

the economy and yoga

Within five minutes today I had two yogi's mention to me their anxiety over our nation's finances. I had already planned to lead a guided "ocean of abundance" meditation in the yin yoga class. This could do us all good considering the dark clouded thought of an economic meltdown. Shall we look at this with a yogic perspective?Let's first look at an attitude of scarcity vs. abundance.

Definitions of scarce include....Insufficient to meet a demand or requirement; short in supply
2. Hard to find; absent or rare

Definitions of abundance include..Occurring in or marked by abundance; plentiful.
2. Abounding with; rich

Just close your eyes, says the words to yourself and notice how each one makes you feel. It's my guess that "scarce" makes you a bit more tense. You might be able to feel yourself contracting and curling up. It conjures up feeling and thoughts that are not pleasant nor comfortable. Abundant on the other hand might make you feel more spacious and light. More happy and free. It conjures of feelings of joy, wellness and airiness.

Given the choice (and luckily you have that) which do you choose? Even now during potential times of trouble and change?

Here's how to take care of your "whole" self when you feel an economic meltdown coming on. Let's imagine that you're paying all your biggest bills and you see that your fave show is interrupted to inform you of the latest financial disaster, which of course throws you over the edge.

1. Stop what you're doing. Close your eyes and simply breathe. Pay attention to what's going on with your body. Allow your face to relax, soften through your shoulders. Focus on softness and space in your body. You might use your inhalation to lift and lengthen through your spine. With the exhalation feel your feet rooted to the earth.
2. Bring your hands together in a prayer position. Open your palms, pressing the outer edge of the hands and pinkie fingers together. Stretch your arms a little forward. It's almost as if you are offering a gift to someone. Visualize yourself standing at the edge of the ocean. This is literally an ocean of abundance. There is enough for you. And for me. There is enough for all of us. You see that this great big ocean can support all of us. Feel the unlimited supply.
*The idea is to engage your mind in some way. If this is "too out there" for you then write in a journal, recite an affirmation, or make a list of all you have in your life.
3. Close your ideas and allow your awareness just to rest in your heart center. Be quiet and still. Breathe. Read something that inspires and lifts you up. Do something that reminds you that you are more than money, more than worries and stress. Find a way to connect to your spirit and your purpose.

The truth is that we can do very little about the stock market, the housing crisis, and our nation's debt. What we can change are our habits and thoughts. Will this work make a difference or not? I don't' know. I do know that I choose to remain positive and optimistic. No I will not dig my head deep into the sand and refuse to believe what "could" happen. I will reevaluate how I'm spending my money. Should I be terribly wrong and things go straight down the drain at least I've had a few more months of happiness and health.

How about you....what are your thoughts? Are you being affected by the financial woes?

an apple a day

Andy and I went to Boyds Orchard yesterday to pick some apples. Visiting the orchard is one of our fun things we do every year around this time. We picked apples, bought cider and pumpkin butter. Later on we pulled the fall decorations from the attic and bought straw for outdoor decorating But we didn't even buy pumpkins....and they were everywhere at the orchard! Very poor planning on our part. We were so excited about the apples. Yesterday we had apples with peanut butter, blended apple slush, and baked apples. Lots of apples at the Tessandori household. That's why I'll be sharing some at the studio today. So come out for class and take away a yummy apple after class.

Sadly the workshop with Kimberly Wilson has been cancelled for this Saturday. Enrollment was too low for me to justify Kimberly making the trek all the way from DC.

study nature

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.

It will never fail you.

~Frank Lloyd Wright

a proud yogi

Many of you know about my brother's coffee shop in Whitesburg, Summit City. I was ecstatic for he and his wife Amelia when they made the front page of the Herald Leader. This morning I learned that they've one upped themselves by landing in an article in The New York Times. The article is about hiking the Pine Mountain Trail. Here's a sliver of the article...

Whitesburg is a good place to meet people who have an unbreakable relationship with this landscape.

“The mountains are so close on, they’re almost hugging you,” said Joel Beverly, 34, who co-owns Summit City Lounge, a cafe, bourbon-tasting-bar and Americana music spot downtown. “When I go to areas that aren’t so crammed in, I almost feel lost.”

The next day, I took a “Goodbye, Whitesburg” hike with Mr. Beverly’s wife and co-owner of Summit City, Amelia Kirby, 30. She’s also a documentary and radio producer based at Appalshop, an arts and culture organization that operates out of a rambling barnlike building in Whitesburg. Appalshop celebrates the land and people of Appalachia without ignoring economic problems, environmental issues and social concerns.

We walked up a road toward a reclaimed former strip mine, accompanied by Ms. Kirby’s dog, Maysie. On a hilltop, a ladybug alighted on a coal lump. When viewed from above, through the fog, the stretch of Pine Mountain that I’d hiked looked like a green archipelago.

Ms. Kirby compared our vista to her view from the plane when descending into the Virgin Islands.

“Joel and I left as young people,” she said, “and didn’t want to stay away. You get back into the mountains, and you have an ‘ahhhh’ feeling — like you’re nestled into it.”

Click here to read the article

My maiden name is Beverly and many times growing up we were referred to as "The Beverly Hillbillies". For a little hillbilly fam, I imagine we're not doing too shabby these day. ;-)

Big Happy Days. I'll be traveling with Andy to Whitesburg tomorrow after teaching. There's some celebrating to do.

yogobama

Some of you noticed me wearing my choice for presidency on my sleeve today....or rather my chest. A group of Cincinnati yogi's have designed these cute and clever shirts and I couldn't resist. Mine is pink, of course. Many of you wanted me to share the link. You can order yours here.

Enjoy the debate tonight. It is exciting regardless of your particular affiliation with either party! I will be donning my pink Obama shirt, sipping some tea, and soaking it all in!

I had such fun teaching class tonight. Many thanks to all of you present! Very wonderful. :-)

wonder woman

"Go in peace, my daughter, and remember that,
in a world of ordnary mortals,
you are a wonder woman."
Hippolyte, Queen of the Amazons

I just picked up the new issue of skirt magazine and I gotta say that I love this (free) publication.

Love the odd shape.
Love the artwork on the cover.
Love the words.
And the rallying of women.
Love how it encourages us to be real.
And embrace our truth.

It's witty and funny.
Reminds us to unleash our inner rebel
and honor our wishes, hopes and dreams.

Yes let's all rally together and be fabulous women of wonder.
Me.
You.
And You.

barefoot works fall yoga retreat at prama institute

fall yoga retreat

I'm all set for our weekend in the mountains of NC. The theme for the weekend is "Learning to Balance the Inner & Outer World". The weekend will look like this:

Friday:

~Dinner 7:30 pm
~Discussion on what it means to balance the inner and outer world, yin yoga, intention setting for the weekend 8:30 pm

Saturday:

~Breakfast 8:00 am
~Vinyasa Yoga 10:00 am
~Lunch 12:00 pm
~Free Time 1:00 – 4:00 pm
~Balancing the Inner World- Exploring the chakras, chakra balancing, chakra meditation 4:00 – 6:00 pm
~Dinner 6:30 pm
~Self Care Tips & Techniques 7:30 pm
~Yoga Nidra 8:15 pm

Sunday:
~Salute the Sun 7:00 am
~Breakfast 8:30 am
~Balancing the Outer World- The ecology of Yoga 10:00 am
~Lunch 12:00 pm
~Closing 1:00 pm

The weekend will be sprinkled with all sorts of meditation, inspiring readings, and lots of opportunity to nurture among nature. I'm sure that I'll take plenty of photos to share if you can't be with us!

Classes will be held as scheduled at the studio. You'll find Liz teaching Saturday morning at 9:15 and Teresa Sunday morning at 10:30.

Wishing you could come along for a yoga retreat? Need some time to nurture yourself among fun and free spirited yogi's? Is sun, sand, sea, sweet folks, and loads of great yoga your idea of a good time? Consider coming along to our annual retreat to Maya Tulum.....a big slice of heaven.

sunrise

You can
die for it--
an idea,
or the world. People

have done so,
brilliantly,
letting
their small bodies be bound

to the stake,
creating
an unforgettable
fury of light. But

this morning,
climbing the familiar hills
in the familiar
fabric of dawn, I thought

of China,
and India
and Europe, and I thought
how the sun

blazes
for everyone just
so joyfully
as it rises

under the lashes
of my own eyes, and I thought
I am so many!
What is my name?

What is the name
of the deep breath I would take
over and over
for all of us? Call it

whatever you want, it is
happiness, it is another one
of the ways to enter
fire.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Last night I was speaking to my friend as we were both driving home, in opposite directions. All of a sudden the biggest, brightest sun came into view. I stopped mid sentence and said rather excitedly, "Do you see the sun!?" And of course she did. It was amazing and mesmerizing. And for just a moment I exclaimed how crazy, wonderful, and beautiful it was that it was "there" for all of us to see and. For all of us to enjoy.

That moment reminded me again how connected we all really are. And how when we see the sun, the moon and the stars, we should express thanks and gratitude for getting to be a part of this magnificent world.

seane corn on npr

I was so happy when a yogini emailed me last week and asked if I listened to Seane Corn on NPR the night before. Well I hadn't, but I did a search and found it. If you're interested in listening and learning about yoga (and life)from my yoga crush, click here to check it out. It's well worth the time. I promise.

professional yoga therapy

"Very often, understanding and practice do not go together. One student may be better able to understand, while another may have better skill in practice. In each case, he had to develop uniformity in skill and intelligence and use them harmoniously." ~B.K.S. Iyengar

I spend three full days at the studio soaking up loads of new yoga information, most specifically yoga as a form of therapy. Of course those of us that know and love yoga realize that it's so much more than "exercise". Irene wears a shirt to the studio that says somethings along the lines of, "Yoga is cheaper than going to therapy." Yoga is therapy for your mind, body, and spirit. It's good stuff.

This particular training is geared towards health care professionals. It's at the top of my list of "best trainings" that I've done. Ginger, our teacher was pretty fabulous...a kind and compassionate soul, very smart, and a wonderful yoga teacher.

One of the objectives is to develop a deeper understanding for applying yoga to general and clinical populations. There were lots of pyhsical therapists and nurses. A dentist and a couple people like myself with no health care credentials. My MS in Recreation and Park Adm. didn't quite make the cut! Luckily I had Tracy next to me the whole training and when I didn't get something, she quietly filled me in. And when she didn't understand the fifth chakra being deficient or excessive, I could quietly fill her in. With her physical anatomy knowledge and my energetic body knowledge, we might make the perfect yoga teacher. ;-)

Actually I was a little intimidated going into the training because I wasn't sure if I would feel lost. I realized that I know more about the body than I give myself credit for most of the time. So that was good!

Here's a little rundown of things covered and learned:
*We did case studies for developing a yoga class for special and general populations.
*Potential contraindications and precautions for patient and student populations.
*Learned biomechanics of yoga asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises).
*Mudra and chakra therapy (a fave)
*Studies of Bhagavad Gita (another fave)
*Studies of koshas and kleshas, how to identify, apply and how to treat "the whole person" (and one last fave).
*Much more. In fact, too much to write!

Here are a few notes sprinkled about my manual and notebook....open for interpretation as you see fit. :-)

*You can't judge the good from the bad. What seems like bad (at the time) could end up being the best thing that's ever happened to you.
*Have mercy on your body. Love it, don't judge it.
*Adversity is good. Suffering is good. It's these places, these dark times that allow for growth, hopefully making us more wise, which we can then share and teach others.
*It's not the "person" that hurts us. It's their own struggle, the war they are waging within themselves that hurt us.
*We never fully perfect ourselves. Trying to do so is a waste of time and causes unnecessary pain and suffering.
*Yoga invites you to go beyond the five senses

A second yin yoga class begins tonight with none other than the wonderfully talented, Sarah Frank (I feel like I should be opening a curtain and she should walk on through)! It's tonight, 7:30 - 8:30 and will be a great class! Please join in!

Lastly, a happy birthday shout out to my little Lexie!!! That's her with me pictured above, crossing the KY River on the ferry.

Happy, Happy Fall!!

i believe in all that has never yet been spoken

I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.
I want to free what waits within me
so that what no one has dared to wish for

may for once spring clear
without my contriving.

If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,
but this is what I need to say.
May what I do flow from me like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.

Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,
these deepening tides moving out, returning,
I will sing you as no one ever has,

streaming through widening channels
into the open sea.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I've read these words over and over today. Before I taught class, shared them at the end of class, before I typed this, and even as I type them I am moved by the sheer power and beauty of it.

May what you choose to do today
flow from you like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.

*A reminder that we will not be having yoga class this Saturday or Sunday as we'll be hosting a Professional Yoga Therapy training all weekend long.

barefoot works voted best yoga class in lexington!

This past Saturday my friend and I are leaving Kroger and out of the corner of my eye I see the "Best of Lexington" issue by Ace Weekly sitting on a wire shelf. I had to pick up some almonds for the health fair and we were on our way to see "The Women" at the Movie Tavern.

I flipped through the pages and under the Health and Fitness section, for Best Yoga Class.....was my baby, Barefoot Works!! Rated as #1!!

So of course I was a thrilled yogini. All sorts of hootin' and hollerin'. Big smiles. Happy Day.

Thank you for voting for Barefoot Works. I know that we have the absolute best, most loyal, most appreciative, most happy, most wonderful yogis and yoginis that frequent Barefoot Works. I'm always so happy to see you walk through the door and consider it a honor to share yoga with you.

May your day be filled with joy and abundance!

this weekend

My box has gotten some TLC this morning....oil changed, tires rotated, wipers exchanged, and gassed up, ready to go to Cincinnati today for a yoga workshop and time spent with yoga friends.

I'll make my way back down to Lexington in the morning and have a fun meeting with the teachers of BW. We'll review a first draft of the teacher handbook, flyers for each to promote their classes, record a couple short clips of them teaching for our youtube page, and chat about classes and studio offerings over brunch at Panera.

I've got some things to finish up in preparation for a health fair I'll be at Sunday. So I'll be spending some time at my computer and at kinkos tomorrow also. Dinner with our fave couple friend will be a treat.

Sunday I'll be representing BW at a holistic health fair here in town. Come out and visit. I'll be there from noon to 5:00 and you get loads on good info, mingle with others, eat free Indian food, and learn about yoga, herbology, meditation, acupuncture and more. Hope to see you there!

Maybe you can find some time to sit under a tree and do some coloring like my cute nieces! Have a bright and shiny weekend sweet ones!

fall wear

Could there have been a better day to be gifted with a PINK hat and scarf?!

courage

It takes a lot of courage
to release the familiar
and seemingly secure,
to embrace the new.
But there is no real security
in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the
adventurous and exciting,
for in movement there is life,
and in change
there is power.

Alan Cohen

todays perks

Today's perks of owning your own business...
~You wake when you want, take refreshing walks on beautiful mornings like the one we had today, practice yoga & meditation, and not feel guilty about spending nearly two hours devoted to your mental and physical wellness.
~You get to enjoy a leisure breakfast outside on your porch instead of grabbing a cup of coffee and racing to the office.
~You get to carry your backpack to main & maple, sit by a big window with the sun streaming through, enjoy a mocha jo, and do work that you enjoy.
~You get to watch the season opener (didn't even know this one) of Oprah where she has the Olympic medalists on and do work between commercials of course ;-)

Not all of us desire to own a business but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that we do desire moments of happiness and the occasional perk. I imagine that all of us can achieve both.

Maybe we get up earlier to do a few sun salutations.
Maybe we turn the radio off and enjoy the ride to work....who says New Circle Rd. can't have its moments of tranquility? ;-)
Maybe we enjoy lunch outside, maybe even a park.
Maybe we could compliment our partner, our boss, the clerk at the store. Understanding that it feels good to help others in feeling good.
And when all else fails enjoy a sliver of chocolate or a few mindless minutes surfing the web.
That always perks me up...

How about you? What are some perks you've enjoyed recently?

barefoot works b-day party!

barefoot works celebrates two years of yoga!

Yippy another great year of yoga for BW here in Lexington

!

Over the past year we've taught yoga to more than 3000 Lexingtonians....if there is such a word.

As our classes have grown we've had to make a few changes at the studio, such as expanding the cork floor to the front door. Yes there was a time (like this time last year) that it wasn't like this. I hear people joking (but maybe your not ;-)that soon we'll have to bust a wall down or expand to the parking lot!

We've also been out in the community sharing yoga in places like Bluegrass Regional, St. Joseph Hospital, VA, Jessamine Co.Public Schools, Joesph Beth, Stars Camp participants, and Breast Cancer Survivors groups.

We started and completed Lexington's first 200 hour yoga teacher training registered with Yoga Alliance.

We've grown from a teaching staff of two to five, adding more knowledge, more personaliyy, and more joy to the classes at BW.

We traveled back to my favorite place for our annual yoga retreat, Maya Tulum for a week of sand, sun, fun, and lots of yoga and massage of course.

I personally traveled to San Francisco for a Yoga Journal Conf. to practice with Seane, Shiva and Sharon. I did a training for thai yoga massage and later this month another yoga therapy training.

It's enough to make me feel very happy to live this life and of course to share it all with you.

Thank you for your support.
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for choosing Barefoot Works.
I know that there are only 24 hours in any given day and I'm always thankful that you choose to spend a chunk of your time at Barefoot Works.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
From the very bottom of my heart.

So please come out tonight at 7:00 and celebrate with us at Barefoot Works. It'll be an evening for playful partner yoga, yummy vegetarian treats, and hanging out with other great yogi's! I hope to see you tonight!
Namaste.

commitment

The idea of commitment has been on my mind the last couple days and we briefly chatted about it this morning at the 9:15 vinyasa class. A super sweet yogini asked me about my yoga practice and I explained to her that I typically do an asana practice each day. Some days it's longer, some days it's shorter. It depends on how much time and energy I have. But I have made the commitment to get on my mat, even on those days that I don't want to. Taking the time to practice is a commitment that I've made to myself.

Yesterday morning I started my day with my early morning walk and instead of making my way straight to my yoga room I got sidetracked by a couple of things I (thought I) had to do. After finsihing the tasks I almost blew my yoga practice off. Instead I rationalized spending at least 10-15 minutes on the mat and see what happened. And just as I imagined the 15 minutes quickly faded to 30, then 45.

While I was practicing a variation of half moon pose, I could literally feel myself not commiting to the posture....mentally or physically. I felt like I was on shaky ground. And after just a little bit of reflection I realized it was because I was not commiting to the posture. I wasn't sure of myself, my legs, or my ability to find a sense of balance.

I released back into triangle pose, affirmed my commitment to the pose and went straight into it, made the bind I had so desperately tried for just moments earlier. The second time around I was sure of myself and my ability to find ease in the pose. And I can confidently say that my mind and the commitment made all the difference.

Later upon more reflection (I reflect a lot, just ask Andy ;-)I realized that when I've set a clear intention, followed by a firm commitment, all the things/ideas/goals/jobs presented themselves.

Of course, like all things in life we can't simply state a commitment and expect it to happen without the much needed work that's involved. I doubt that you'd commit to practice handstand without a wall and not do the work involved to practice the pose with success.

So set your intention.
Make the commitment.
Follow it up with the work involved.

What areas of your life to do need to make a much needed commitment?
Is in on the yoga mat, at your job, in your relationships, your habits, etc.?

september playlist

Click here to check out the playlist for the month.
And lyrics of my fave new song for the month:

PREFACE

Life comes swiftly
At you suddenly
Takes you by surprise

Unexpected
Seems so hectic
No time to decide

Leave your conflict, leave your strife
Bring an open mind
Try your luck and roll the dice
Win more than a grand prize

Come and join me
Gather quickly
Brace yourself for this

Life’s a mystery
Still worth living
It’s what you make of it.

It's Di Johnston. Click here to hear the whole tune!

Come out this evening to practice AND listen to great music. I hope to see you here!

the good stuff

I'm happy today.
Life feels full.
And if feels good.

The good stuff is not the yoga clothes that I love, nor the new nail polish I've fallen for. It's not a rug for my house, nor this cup of coffee I'm enjoying. It's not the pose I'm trying to perfect. It's not even dreams of places near and far.

It's the serene and beautiful lake that I got to spend the day at yesterday. Seeing the sun shimmer on the lake was enough to remind me of the spark that exists within us all. I felt lucky to be in the presence of this pretty place.

It was the family that I love. The one that I appreciate more and more every day.
It's the sharing, talking and the laughing that really puts it all into perspective. It's seeing how we're all so very different, yet so very alike at the same time.

It was the drive back through small towns like Booneville, Beatyville, Ravenna, and Irvine. It was seeing the sun shine so brightly through the trees. It was winding around the hills, up and down the valleys.

It was the talks of spirit, meditation, and prayer.

It's just enough to make you realize how lucky you are.
How life is always full of the good stuff when we stop and take notice.

What's the good stuff in your weekend?

classes this weekend

We will be having all of our yoga classes as scheduled this weekend at Barefoot Works. Join Liz tomorrow morning for a level 1/2 vinyasa class and Teresa Sunday for yoga for stress relief.

In Sundays class Teresa will be focusing on heart opening and twisting postures. She'll also lead you through two wonderful breathing exercises (pranayama), bhastrika and kapalbhati. The meditation for the day will be Zazen meditation.

We will also be having our evening classes on Monday. Plenty of opportunity to practice the art of wellness this weekend!

All of us at Barefoot Works wish you a safe and happy weekend.

need a laugh?

focus

I'm here at the studio applying some major focus in getting some things done that I've been procrastinating on. I did want to drop a note and say hi and give you some links worth checking out. Each has a connection to Barefoot Works!

Crystal Heis, lovely yogini at BW - Entertaining blog post, titled "Don't try this at home". I bet you're already intrigued. :-)

Emily, phenomenal yoga teacher at BW - Entertaining blogging on hives, yoga, nursing school and life in general. Adam, her husband takes incredible photos. Check out their month long journey to Alaska and back. Before you know if you'll be ready to head our on your own adventure.

Teresa, world's greatest teacher of pranayama and meditation - You'll enjoy learning more about her and all the great things she's doing on her website.

Retta, cutest hair at BW (yes I just officially assigned you that title) - I just discovered this from a comment she left. So of course I must share. ;-)

Shannon, one of BW's most gifted artist - Have to be careful here cause we have a few talented artist that frequent BW. But I have to give props to Shannon because her work is amazing AND she's from my neck of the woods. And so is Retta.

Debra - BW's best sense of humor and she is such a smarty pants....in a good way of course. Check out her blog if you're in the field of massage therapy or need some biz know how.

Leigh Ann - one of BW's first yoga teachers. Most of you probably don't know Leigh Ann, but she taught here when I very first opened. She's a great friend and she has the cutest new baby boy named Tate. Check him out here. Because really, who doesn't enjoy a little buddha baby?

There that should keep you busy for a few minutes. I'm back to happily working!

sometimes when i sit

It's bliss. Like yummy ice cream and a cherry on top. It's real and it's authentic. I find answers and I find peace.

Other times it goes something like this....

As I go to cross my legs I notice how pretty my nail polish is...
And we're off....

Wow, I really love this nail polish.
I never fancied myself for being a lover of brown polish.
But this is great.
I'm so glad Tracy turned me on to it.
She wore it in Mexico.
Ahhh sweet Mexico.
I do miss you Maya Tulum.
I can't wait to see you again next year.
I wonder what the weather is like there today.
There's still four more days for people to register
and save 10%.
I wonder how many have signed up?
Oh crap, "Thinking"

Inhale.
Exhale.
Repeat.

My palms are resting down on my knees.
Maybe I should have them facing up?
I could use a little wink from the universe
and be open to her guidance.
No, just stay here.
Is there a bug on my face
or is it just my hair?
I really feel the urge to move it.
Don't Sharon it's just your mind playing evil
little tricks on you.
You know that,
you are a yoga teacher after all.
Come on get with the program.
Oh shit, "Thinking" again.

Inhale.
Exhale.
Repeat.

How about you....what goes on when you sit?

barefoot works playlists on itunes!

So I'm pretty excited about this! It appears that people really enjoy the yoga tunes we play at the studio. People are always asking me after class what I was playing during this pose or that pose. As much as I love the music, many times I can't give an answer cause I download straight from itunes.

BUT now I'm gonna start burning a new cd each month....sort of the theme music for the month and I'll give you the link so you can burn it if you love it!

Click here to see the "sample" playlist. I've been playing this cd for a few months but I wanted to get one started before the official kickoff for Septempber. Be sure you have itunes downloaded. Enjoy! And if you want rate it and leave some sweet words.

Meanwhile, I'm still drinking hot tea....but really missing my coffee. :-)

your intuition

Your intuition is your best friend.....says the package of my ginger yogi tea. I'm still trying to shake this summer cold. I came out for Teresa's Yoga for Stress Relief class (as did a bunch of other people) and it was simply perfect. If you haven't been to this class, I would really, really encourage you to do so. It's the perfect way to prepare for the week ahead. But get here early cause' the space may fill up!

Teresa's class included a great pranayama practice, a tonglen mediation AND yoga nidra. And of course there was praciticing of asanas (postures). I was so happy that Teresa led the tonglen meditation as I've been practicing it myself lately. I told her how much I enjoyed it and she let out a little sigh of relief. We briefly chatted about how as teachers it sometimes pushes us out of our comfort zone in leading some of these practices. Ultimately we just go with our intuition and trust that what we teach is what we need to teach, to those people in the class.

Tonglen in a Buddhist practice and as we all know each of us have our own beliefs, religion, and ideaologies that we prescribe to. The great thing about yoga is that you can use the practice to enhance and build upon what you believe. Yoga presents a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with ourselves and the world around us.

May your intuition may be your best friend today and let's all learn to call upon that friend frequently!

the yoga love

I met a yoga friend at Coffee Times yesterday (imagine that ;-) to catch up. We hadn't seen each other in a while so we had plenty to chat about. Our chat quickly turned to yoga as it does often (and quickly) with most of my yoga buds. We spoke of trainings we'd been to, ones we hoped to attend, yoga teacher training, and future projects.
We chatted about how yoga is definitely on an upswing here in Lexington which is so very exciting to see and to be a part of. I explained how I felt about this, stating basically that it's all very fabulous. And like all good yogi's we decide how amazing the world would be if only we all did a down dog a day. Even if half of the people in Lexington practiced yoga, can you imagine the difference?

Could you imagine if every person you walked by on the street knew that something as simple as breathing deeply could calm them down?
And what if all these people knew the importance of not harming themselves (ahimsa) or others?
What if they knew that we're not so different and that really we have much in common, that we are indeed connected?
What if they talked nicely to themselves and those they encounter?
What if they knew they were beautiful and kind and perfect and filled with peace somewhere in their body and they just had to dig a little deeper to discover it?
What if they radiated joy just because it's better this way?
What if they had a healthy body and an open mind?

I can see it. Can you? Please keep spreading the yoga love! Share what you know, how yoga makes you feel better, how it makes you more nice, and all those other reasons you keep rolling your mat out.

a warrior

A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next.
We can try to control the uncontrollable by looking for security and predictability,
always hoping to be comfortable and safe.
But the truth is that we can never avoid uncertainty.
This not knowing is part of the adventure.
It's also what makes us afraid.

A fave of mine - Pema Chodron

Come out and practice being a warrior this evening in yoga class. I'll be teaching at 5:45 and Emily will be teaching at 7:15.

a reminder

Is this video not beautiful? It serves as a reminder of how very lucky we are to be able to practice something so beautiful and powerful. This video demonstrates what sets yoga apart from contortionists and other types of exercise in general. When practiced with intention, yoga has the ability to transform more that just our body, but our mind and spirit as well.

Enjoy yet another beautiful day!

yoga for a cold

I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather. So I chose to spoil myself with a restorative yoga sequence. But to be honest, it wasn't too much of a choice as the thought of one sun salutation was exhausting simply to think about. :-) If you find yourself wanting to give yourself some extra love today, or if you're feeling bad find a clear wall, plenty of pillows and cushions, and just rest. Just Be.

Here's the sequence I practiced:

*Legs Up the Wall - Sit close to a wall. While you take your torso back, swing your legs up the wall. If this is too much for your hamstrings, move your bum a little further away from the wall.
*Reclining Twist - I moved into this twist from legs up the wall. Just bend your legs and pull your knees into your chest. Release the legs over to the right and release your arms out to the sides shoulder height, palms facing up.
*Supported Bridge Pose - I used two big meditation cushions that almost ran the length of my body. Sitting down I shimmied around until my shoulders and head released off the support and stretched my arms out open wide.
*Supported Bound Angle - I stacked the two meditation pillows and placed another pillow in front of those so that when I reclined back I was in a very comfortable spot. Bring the soles of your feet together, release the knees out, close your eyes, and just relax.

Those poses felt really good for me as they allowed my chest to open up and helped to get circulation up into my upper torso. I rested in each place for about five minutes. Of course you can stay longer. Five minutes or more will really help to relax your nervous system. And if you don't have all the "proper" yoga supplies just get creative in using things that support you and simply feel good. Cause' really that's what it's all about.

If you want to see other restorative poses then click here for pics and full details.

I'm off to drink some orange juice then get ready to meet my dear sister at Joseph Beth for catching up and a late lunch. If the restorative yoga doesn't do it for me I figure the trash mags, spiritual and self help books will definitely bring a smile to my face. ;-)

Check out the Barefoot Works Yoga Teachers in the pic above. We had a very fun meeting Friday night to catch up, chat about the art of teaching yoga, discuss future offerings at the studio and much more. It's so exciting for me to have such amazing gals be a part of Barefoot Works.

May all of you have a lovely Sunday....

come out today!

Why?

Because it's a gorgeous day to do yoga!! Come celebrate your body and all the amazing things you can do, unwind your mind and let your spirit soar.....Just like those pretty clouds. ;-)

I've been playing with this sequence in my own practice:

Warrior II (using the breath to move in and out)
Exalted Warrior
Triangle
Half Moon
Warrior III
Come to standing, extend leg out, arms up, balance, and smile
Eagle
Warrior II

Come out this evening and I'll joyfully lead you through the whole sequence! I hope to see you here.

kimberly wilson at barefoot works

One of the things I'm planning to do more of is bring well known yogi's and yogini's to Lexington to share their teachings. I'm thrilled to have Kimberly Wilson join us in October for a whole day.

Kimberly Wilson is a teacher, author, activist, entrepreneur and designer with a masters degree in women’s studies. she is the creative director and founder of tranquil space which started in her fourth-floor walk-up apartment in 1999 and now has three locations. Tranquil Space has grown into a socially conscious haven named among the top 25 yoga studios in the world by travel + leisure.

She penned hip tranquil chick with hopes of inspiring fellow femmes to lead a mindfully extravagant life on and off the yoga mat, and is currently working on her next opus due out december 2009 – a fusion of spirituality, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

When she's not bookstore browsing, you'll find her designing the eco-luxe TranquiliT lifestyle line and her one-of-a-kind tranquilista jewelry collection, sipping oodles of tea, or leading retreats globally. her work has been featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio and in Daily Candy, Fit Yoga, Yoga Journal, Lucky, and Shape.

I hope that you'll be supportive in my efforts to bring more yoga to Lexington as our yoga community continues to grow and expand. Here's the scoop for the workshop(s) with Kimberly.

Saturday October 11, 2009

Jivamukti Yoga, 10:00 till Noon
Jivamukti Yoga is a dynamic vinyasa practice emphasizing the goal of yoga as liberation. It includes a focus on scripture, music, non-violence, meditation, and devotion as well as challenging asana. Explore this path of enlightenment (innate happiness) through a practice focused on spirtiual activism. Come away inspired and encouraged to do small things daily that make a difference on and off the yoga mat.


Yin Yoga, 12:30 till 2:30
The perfect slow and deep practice of holding floor poses for three to five minutes at a time. With an emphasis on the connective tissues of the hips, thighs, pelvis, and lower spine, it is the ideal compliment to the more muscular, or “yang,” forms of yoga. Savor drawing your awareness away from your muscles and deeper into your bones to experience a strong sense of calm, opening, and tranquility.

Book Signing and Tea, 2:30 - 3:30
Celebrate all things hip and tranquil with a reading and tea from Kimberly's book, Hip Tranquil Chick. She will be available to sign books, give a reading, offer lifestyle tips, and mingle after her workshops. Tea and cookies will be served. This is free!

Pay only $40 per session, or $70 for the entire day.

Space is limited so if you want to attend, Click here to register now!
You can also shop Kimberly's eco line, TranquiliT at our online store. Click here to check it out.

breaking surface

Let no one keep you from your journey,
no rabbi or priest, no mother
who wants you to dig for treasures
she misplaced, no father
who won't let one life be enough,
no lover who measures their worth
by what you might give up,
no voice that tells you in the night
it can't be done.

Let nothing dissuade you
from seeing what you see
or feeling the winds that make you
want to dance alone
or go where no one
has yet to go.

You are the only explorer.
Your heart, the unreadable compass.
Your soul, the shore of a promise
too great to be ignored.

Mark Nepo

wanna dance?

It's only 10:41 and I'm already having a pretty near perfect day. Maybe it was last night's sunset.....did you see it?? Gosh it was amazing. Amazing enough that I slammed on my brakes, pulled my car off the road a little too quickly and took some pictures. Sorry, haven't downloaded them just yet.

I got up early took a walk. I felt a hint of fall. It was cool enough that I had on long sleeves and didn't get hot once during my walk of 40 minutes. Then I was off to my yoga room for practice. Flipped open a great read, read a passage where my eyes landed, lit a new soy candle (that smells sooo good), did a 45 minute practice followed by 25 minutes of meditation. Had a piece of toast with peanut butter on the back deck. Thought briefly that the garden looks a mess and weeds need to be pulled. Decided that rather than bashing myself over something silly I'd continue with the near perfect day.

Came inside put Loretta Lynn's, Van Lear Rose in the cd player and took to cleaning the house. I love this cd. It always reminds me of the sweetness, the uniqueness and the complexities of my home. It all get's wrapped up into some pretty package, even though it's somewhat distorted. I washed, scrubbed,vacuumed, organized and it was during the process of folding that a song came on and I had to tear myself away from the laundry, run into the foyer and break out into a dance. This dance felt so very good that I had to put another cd on (Pink) and continue on with my dance party. So with heart rate up, a smile on my face, and a lightness in my heart I forge on with a day that's sure to be grand.

Have a beautiful weekend lovelies! Andy is graduating tomorrow with his Master's Degree in Education! It's been a long tough road, but he's all done. Yippy....Myself and the fam are all soooo very proud of this pe teacher. :-)

barefoot works, youtube, & maya tulum

After what feels like a whole days work, I'm figuring out this YouTube stuff! Please be a peach and rate my video, or even better leave a comment on the youtube page. I'm downloading a couple more actual videos and hope to have those online soon.

Also don't forget that through the end of August you save 10% when you register for our retreat to Maya Tulum! All is takes is $300 to reserve your space for this amazng trip to paradise.

blossom

"If I get stuck in who I am now, I will never blossom into who I might yet become. I need to practice the gentle art of letting go."
~Sam Keen

I've been thinking a lot about Barefoot Works and the direction(s) that I want to move in. It's been an interesting process. For four years now I've mostly focused on becoming a good yoga teacher. For four years I've lived, breathed, walked, talked and sang the art of being a better yoga student and a better yoga teacher. Two of those years was prior to opening the studio and the other two has been since the opening of the studio. All that work has paid off. I'm happy & confident with who I am a teacher. Now I'm realizing that I need to give up a little control to grow in other areas.

With the business part of the studio I have many other hats that I wear of a daily basis.

Here is what happens when my phone rings....
Ring, Ring (actually it's Micheal Franti singing)
"May I speak to the person in charge of your advertising?"
This is she.
"Oh wow that rarely happens."

And if someone was calling about the person in charge of accounting, public relations, teaching, or cleaning the studio. I again would answer....this is she.

I'm realizing that in order to grow Barefoot Works and to grow the yoga tribe here in Lexington I need to take a serious look at how I'm spending my time and decide the best place to focus my energy. With a tiny bit of sadness and a bit more excitment I will be giving a couple of my classes away to some of our recent graduates of teacher training. We'll also be adding some new things to the schedule. With the new addition of teachers and classes I need to focus some energy on filling those classes and helping my teachers be the best they can be. I need to spend some time visualizing where I want to take Barefoot Works and spend more time making a plan on how to get there.

This will be an interesting shift for me because I LOVE to teach and share yoga. So of course my plan is to continue teaching and sharing my love of yoga. I cannot imagine not doing this. But to do it in a way that allows me to focus more on the building of Barefoot Works.

The changes scare me a little. But I've never been one to get stuck in a place of fear.
Feel the fear.
Respect the fear.
But do in anyway.
Because don't we all want to blossom to the absolute best we can be?